Control
by finem
Summary: Sequel to Taming the Beast. After Goku is taken back into heaven's custody, he's forced to make a choice between his friend's lives and his own sanity.
1. Choices

So here is the continuation of the stuff that happened in Taming the Beast. This half seems like it's gonna be a lot darker with stronger language, so I decided to give it a stronger rating which is why it's a separate story. Things should be interesting from here on out. Enjoy!

Usual disclaimers apply. They're not mine; I just drool on them occasionally :) No sue.

**I. Choices**

So they had continued going west. It was definitely not the preferable option; they were one member short and the mood of the group was dismal in its best moments, but they did have a mission to accomplish that was greater than one young saru. So they continued. Their progress had slowed significantly, they fought each other almost constantly, and any warmth that might have once existed within the group seemed to have been stolen away along with Goku. That _was _the case after all. Goku's innocence and energy had kept them going through everything. Without him, the three remaining companions were lost to their own worlds of darkness and despair.

Hakkai lay in bed thinking on the events of the past several days with a heavy heart. Gojyo lay in the bed across from him filling the room with acrid cigarette smoke. Both Gojyo and Sanzo's cigarette habit had at least doubled. Hakkai had stopped requesting that they not smoke indoors; it usually just lead to more fighting. The smoking habit was the only thing the monk and kappa shared anymore these days. After Goku had been taken, a wall had formed between the two that could not be breeched by anything. Even in battle for their lives, the two fought alone leaving Hakkai to fight his own battle and watch both of their backs at the same time. It was no good, and sooner or later one of them would fall and the mission would be that much closer to failing. There had already been too many close calls.

"What are we going to do about this?" Hakkai asked into the night. He wasn't really expecting a response from his roommate. Gojyo had become more and more sullen as days went by. He never wanted to talk about what was going on inside of him, but Hakkai knew that the loss of Goku basically equated to the loss of yet another family, and that was something that was ripping him apart slowly from the inside.

"You wanna fuck?" The shocked silence that followed the question was due in part to the fact that Gojyo had responded at all and in part to how ludicrous the response had been.

"Dammit, Gojyo! What the hell is wrong with you?" Hakkai's temper was also much quicker to flare these days.

"What? I'm horny as hell but I don't feel like going out to find some cheep whore. I know I'm not usually into guys, but at this point, I'd stick it into anything warm and willing." Hakkai was seeing red now.

"Fine!" He rose from his bed and stormed off to the door. "You can keep shutting everyone out if you want to, but we still have a job to do and none of us will make it to the end acting like this. Sanzo's already been injured and he won't even let me treat the wound! How much farther do you think we'll make it at this rate? And if we all die, how are we supposed to help Goku in the end?" Gojyo actually began laughing at this.

"Gods, you are hopeless, Hakkai. You heard High Priest Ass-hole over there, there is no helping Goku. He's gone. You gotta stop living in denial." The words and laughter ripped at Hakkai's heart more than he was willing to admit and when he next spoke, the room seemed to chill with the intensity of his rage.

"I wish that I could so easily give up on the people I care about, but if there is even the slightest hope that we can do something to help him, I won't stop trying. I will never give up on Goku because he would have never given up on any of us!" Hakkai stepped out of the room and closed the door behind him. Gojyo was still chuckling, but somehow, through the door, the laughter sounded more like sobbing.

Feeling a familiar hollow sadness inside, Hakkai walked down the hall to the room that Sanzo had to himself and let himself in. A billowing cloud of smoke poured into the hall as he opened the door and found Sanzo lying in bed smoking. With an irritated sigh, Hakkai walked across the room to open a window. Was the monk trying to kill himself? There had to be more smoke than air in the room.

"Will you let me check your wound now, Sanzo?" Hakkai asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. The expected response was given.

"Go the fuck away." That was that then. Hakkai was done. He had honestly tried, but if these two fools were determined to self-destruct, there was little he could do to stop them. Putting on his most brilliant smile, Hakkai faced the monk, a slight twitch in his closed eyes.

"If you won't let me heal the wound, then please be more careful during battles. There may not always be someone there to watch your back." And again, Hakkai exited a smoky room leaving an idiot behind. They were screwed. There was no way they'd make it to Gyumao's castle at this rate, and no way they would win even if they did. They might as well turn around and go home. Swearing quietly to himself, Hakkai moved off into the warm night to find jeepu. The dragon was the last comfort he had with this group.

o—o—o—o

The darkness had been maddening at first. The absolute darkness that kept him from being able to see and seek out a way to escape filled him with a choking frustration that was unbearable, but after a while, he'd gotten used to it. Then it was the quiet that had gotten to him the most. He was accustomed to there being people around and loud conversations, and explosions, or at the very least, the chirping of crickets, or the shifting of sand, or wind moving over stone, or something. He didn't like the quiet because without the distraction brought by sound, he was left with nothing but his thoughts and memories, and the images offered there were completely unacceptable, but he could have adjusted to that as well. Everything about his prison was miserable from the clammy cold of the air to the rough rock that gave no comfort, but now there was something that made all of these other discomforts seem petty and small.

He didn't know how long he had been in the darkness by the time he was able to pull himself back together. All he knew was somewhere in there, he'd started feeling little pangs of something that he couldn't identify. He'd spent a lot of time focusing on how to escape, but even as he did, he noticed the odd pangs were increasing in strength and frequency and suddenly he realized what they were. He was feeling the emotions of his other companions. He'd always heard that when people die, if you think about them, they can hear your thoughts. Perhaps that was true in general of people who were no longer on the mortal plane.

After many attempts and considerable injuries, Goku concluded that his prison was sound and finally collapsed of sheer exhaustion. In his resting state, he was even more keenly aware of the pangs of sensation he was receiving. The feelings were becoming more and more intense, and he could tell that the others were not happy at all. He knew it the moment that Sanzo got hurt, he felt it every time they had an argument, and he could tell that his little family was slowly falling apart. His absence was throwing of the very precarious balance created by each of them and there was nothing he could do to stop it! Having to witness the steady deterioration of everything he held dear in the world was a torture that he could not endure.

His heart was torn in two directions. Part of him wanted to just block it all out so that he wouldn't have to feel it happening; he didn't want to feel them die, and he somehow knew that things were leading them down a path that led to almost certain death. But at the same time, he didn't want to cut himself off from them so completely. As painful as it was to feel them in pain, it would be far worse not to have them at all wouldn't it? He didn't know what to do, and this was an argument that he had with himself over and over again in his cold dark prison.

It was during one such argument that he felt the pang that he had been dreading. Something was going on in the mortal world, and his friends were in danger. Sanzo was dying, and the others had no conviction that they would survive. Goku wasn't sure he would survive their deaths again, but what was he supposed to do? He'd already tried everything in his power to get out. He'd already done everything he could to get away. How was he supposed to stop this!

An answer was whispered into his ear sending a trill of cold down his spine. The voice that had spoken belonged to his other. The beast that had once been held behind his limiter was contained now. Goku was in control, but the beast still lived within, and should he choose to, Goku could call the beast to his aid at any time. The creature could probably get them out. It was indiscriminate in the way it used his power and would be able to destroy this prison with ease, but Goku knew that if he made the choice to release the monster that he could become, there would be no turning back. The creature would destroy everything without remorse or regret and all he had gone through would have been for nothing. But what was the alternative? To sit here and do nothing? It was in his power to save the others, and there was a small possibility that he'd be able to take control of the creature again once it was released.

He was terrified. As he sat arguing with himself, he knew that his friends were running out of time. If he didn't do something soon, the decision would be made for him. He didn't know what to do. There was another stab of pain. He was pretty sure it had come from Gojyo. He was hurt; badly, but he was still fighting. How could Goku sit by while his friends were suffering like this? He couldn't do this. He couldn't take this, but suddenly there was searing pain in his eyes all else was temporarily driven from his mind.

After a few moments, Goku was able to figure out that the searing pain in his eyes was due to a sudden flare of light in his prison.

"Pathetic." The word was murmured like a curse and Goku would have wet himself in surprise had there been any fluids left in his body to excrete. There was someone here with him. When had that happened? He also realized that his eyes were shut tightly and his hands were covering his face trying to block out the light.

"Dumb beast," the voice continued. "Do you not recognize a mercy when it is presented to you, or perhaps you have no desire to look upon your current home?" Things were slowly sorting themselves out in Goku's mind. He recognized this voice from long, long ago, and he felt his blood chill as realization flooded him.

"How anyone ever thought that you could belong in Tenkai is beyond me." The voice sneered. "But no matter, I don't need your eyes on me to offer this proposition." Goku continued to hide his face as he slowly tried to get his eyes to adjust and also tried to control his fury. This was the kami who had destroyed his life. "As it seems that Kenren and the rest of your pathetic friends are too weak to continue their mission without you, their lap dog, at their beckon call, I have appeal to Tentei to allow an intervention."

"What the hell are you talking about? Say what you mean or get the hell out!" Goku was still struggling to adjust to the light. The kami scoffed in disgust.

"Very well. Let me put it in terms you can understand. You fight, they live."

"What!" Goku's eyes snapped open immediately to look at Li Touten for the first time, ignoring the pain that tore through his head as the dim light brought by the kami flooded his vision.

"I see that got the beast's attention." The kami was smugger than ever in this new found power.

"You're gonna let me go?" Goku asked. He was appalled at how raspy his voice had become from lack of use.

"You would like that wouldn't you?" Li Touten smiled mirthlessly and reached down to grab Goku's chin and hold his face in place. Goku tried to slap the hand away, but the seals in this place had drained him and the kami was still at his full strength, a fact that served only to further incite the saru's rage. Just seeing the man was filling Goku with a hatred more potent than anything he had ever experienced. He knew that there would be a price for allowing him to help his friends and that the price would serve the kami's own ambitions, but Goku also didn't see any other alternative that would guarantee the survival of his friends. He struggled against the kami's hold for a bit more before giving in. That was what this game was really about after all. Li Touten thrived on dominating others, making them submit to his will.

"That's more like it. Behave or I'll leave you and let your friends die." It took every ounce of control for Goku to keep from lashing out at the man.

"So here is the arrangement," the kami began in a malicious, self-satisfied tone. "I will let you save your friends under one condition." He spoke quietly, deliberately pausing before naming his price. Goku felt as though his heart would burst from helplessness. "You will belong to me."

Part of him had known the moment that Li Touten had begun speaking that his would be the end result, but hearing the words was still a heavy punch in the gut. Goku knew what this would mean. He saw in his mind as though the events had already come to pass what his future would hold at the hands of this man. Nataku still sat sleeping, and Tenkai was without a war prince. It didn't take a genius to see where this was going. His vision was temporarily flooded with blood, and he felt his heart clench as he realized that there was no other option. If saving the others meant that he would become this man's new killing machine, then so be it.

Goku looked into the face of the single person he despised more than any other in all of existence and agreed to submit his freedom into the kami's hands.

"I'm glad that we understand each other." The triumph in the man's eyes was disgusting.

"Then let me out of here." Goku was anxious to get to the others, he could tell that time was running out.

"One final detail before this arrangement is complete." The kami, still holding Goku's upturned face in his had lifted his other hand and placed two fingers to the youth's forehead. "By this contract you pledge yourself to me and my line, to obey, and defend, and forsake not this oath. Do you agree?"

"I already said I do, so let me—"

"'I pledge to submit my all' is the proper response," he drawled smugly. Goku would have rather bit out his own tongue and bled to death at that moment, but he knew that every moment he wasted was a moment he was not there to help the others, so he swallowed his rage and gave the man what he wanted.

"I pledge to submit my all." As the words left his mouth, a searing paid lanced through his head where the kami touched him. He cried out as the pain seemed to fuse itself with his being, and suddenly he was engulfed in burning heat. He looked up to find Gojyo before him, battling Kougaiji. Hakkai lay unconscious near an unmoving Sanzo in the distance. He was free!

o—o—o—o

He was never sure when he had started depending on the saru to watch his back, all he knew was that one day some punk youkai had gotten in a cheap shot when he left an opening in his guard, and for the life of him, he couldn't figure out how it had happened…that is of course until he began thinking that it wouldn't have happened if Goku had been there.

Now that was a smack in the face.

Sanzo was experiencing an internal struggle that he never thought he would have to face. He had sworn never to let anyone become close to him again…never to rely on anyone but himself because the pain of losing someone close to you is very near unbearable. He had no desire to experience that kind of pain again…but Goku had been different. He had let the kid's near invulnerability break past something without even realizing it. In his mind, he knew that there was no force in the world that could do to Goku what those youkai had done to his master all those years ago, and that knowledge had lulled him into a sense of false security.

It would take the gods themselves to take Goku away from him, and damn it all if the gods hadn't done just that! The one thing in his life that he was sure he could rely on was the stupidity of that damned ape, but somehow the idiot had gone and screwed that up too!

He had wanted to believe that none of this mattered. He had wanted to believe that they could continue on their journey and sort out the rest in the end. He had wanted to believe that things would settle down after the first few days for the saru's absence, but he couldn't deny the foolishness of such beliefs. It was obvious from the start that they were heading down a path to destruction as soon as they set back on the road one member short. After traveling so long with this group it had become quite apparent that the four of them were balancing on a needle's tip and the loss of any one of them would have thrown everything to hell. It seemed fitting that this place where it would all come to an end was as close to hell as the world could offer.

It had started with a lead to the possible whereabouts of another sutra, and ended with some psycho, Sanzo-eating scorpion bitch pumping him full of venom. He was glad that he had kicked the shit out of her before she'd managed to take her final shot. If it hadn't been for Hakkai, they'd all be buried under the desert sand right now, but it seemed that it wouldn't have mattered much either way.

He lay now on the burning sand, feeling the poison course through his body, listening to the sounds of battle around him. It was just their luck that Kougaiji had also heard about the sutra buried here. Gojyo had apparently finally gotten over his bitchy mood and decided that he cared whether they all lived or died and was fighting the prince for rights to one of his flying dragons. Sanzo suspected that it was more for Hakkai's sake than his, but that didn't matter either. Gojyo was not fairing well. They'd all probably die here, and Genjo Sanzo found himself thinking continually about the boy who had called out to him so long ago and had become a regular, comforting annoyance in his life, and how the same boy had been so abruptly snatched from him.

Allowing unconsciousness to take him, Sanzo turned his head one last time to watch the hopeless battle and breathed a sigh of self deprecating laughter. He knew that he must be very far gone because just before the world faded to black, he could have sworn that he saw the form of a small saru appear just beyond the place where Gojyo and Kougaiji were battling.

o—o—o—o

"NYOIBOU!" Goku called his staff and willed it to stretch long enough to knock the youkai prince away from his friend. "Touch him again and die!" He registered the shock on everyone's face as he made his appearance, but also recognized the defiance born of determination within Kougaiji. Goku honestly did not want to kill the prince, but he would if Kougaiji kept pushing his hand. Instinctively, Goku's body began to move. He could feel energy gathering inside of him awaiting release. Before he fully realized what was going on, his hand had risen toward Kougaiji and a concussive blast of power was released at him. The prince was knocked several yards back, and his clothes were singed and tattered when he tried to rise again. "You won't get another warning." Goku could tell that his point had gotten across, and thus, he proceeded to ignore the prince and his companion to focus on his injured friends.

"What the hell took you so long?" Gojyo croaked out as he collapsed to the sand. Those were the last words he spoke before losing consciousness. Goku fell to his friend's side feeling the significantly weakened pulse of life there. He also ran to where Hakkai and Sanzo lay. He had to pause at that. Seeing Sanzo like this was calling back memories that he didn't want to think about right now. Memories of what had happened so long ago that set him on his quest for control, and what had happened in Tenkai even longer before because of Li Touten's deceit. The thought sent his head throbbing in anger, but he also knew that he couldn't dwell on his hatred of the kami. He had to get his friends to safety soon.

He found Hakuryuu collapsed near Hakkai, presumably exhausted by the sun. Kougaiji and Dokugakuji were long gone. He had no way to transport them. He had made it in time to help them fight, but they were miles from the nearest town. How was he supposed to get them to people who could help them? He didn't know any of Hakkai's healing techniques, and it looked like they all needed something like that right now. Goku was really beginning to panic when Kanzeon Bosatsu decided to make hir appearance.

"What are you doing idiot? They're gonna be sun dried by the time you move 'em." Goku looked up startled, then 500 year old memory kicked in to connect the face to his past.

"Kannon! You're the goddess of mercy right! You've gotta help me! I don't know how to get them to help!"

"Baka, you work for Tenkai now right? There are some perks that come with the job." The goddess snapped hir fingers and they were suddenly on the outskirts of a town. Goku blinked around himself in confusion for a moment then spotted someone in the distance.

"There's someone over there! They'll know where to find the nearest healer!" Goku moved to go towards the person but was stopped short by the goddess.

"Whoa there kid. You gotta get back to your boss before…"

"I'm not leaving until I know they're okay," the youth said in defiance.

"I don't think you understand," the kami tried to explain

"What I do understand is that you've stood by and watched as Li Touten has done whatever the hell he wants for a very long time. If you're not going to help me, then get out of my way." With that, the youth charged off to flag down the townsfolk in the distance.

"I tried to warn you kid." The goddess spoke to Goku's back. "You'll just have to learn the hard way." The goddess of mercy vanished from the desert heat.

o—o—o—o

AN:

Ok…so I'm not sure, but I feel like I might have gone overboard with reactions in this story…everyone's acting pretty out of character, but that seemed appropriate somehow. I don't want it to be like Goku was the only thing keeping the group together, cause that's definitely not the case, but I also know that if any one of them were to be subtracted from the equation, things would sort of spiral out of control. Each of them plays a very important role in the group's dynamic. That's was I was trying to get across at least, but I don't know how successful I was. Gojyo in particular was really OOC.

Thanks to everyone for the reviews! I came home everyday with a new email poking at me to keep writing…and so I did! Keep 'em coming folks! I love to hear what everyone thinks. Comments and critiques make me very happy. You all rock!


	2. Surprises

Disclaimer: They're cool, but not mine. Here's the next part!

**II. Surprises**

Hakkai woke to the sound of arguing. Goku and Gojyo were at it again, screaming and swearing like siblings; almost as though they really were family, almost as though they were really there. These were the dreams that Hakkai hated most. For a brief moment, it would seem like everything was back to normal, but then reality would flood him, he'd realize he was dreaming, and he would truly wake to the cold, cold truth and have to face the morose world their lives had become. Even as conscious took a stronger hold of him, the healer waited for reality to come crushing in to destroy the warmth that the familiar sound was bringing him. This was the most vivid his dream had ever been. He slowly opened his eyes waiting to see how far this farce would go when he was suddenly being smothered by a lap full of saru.

"HAKKAI! You're awake!" Goku had engulfed him in a crushing hug. The groaning of his bones told him that this most definitely was not a dream. "I'm so glad you're ok!" the youth said pulling back to look Hakkai in the face. "I thought that I had been too late and that you were gonna die and even though I got here in time to fight off Kougaiji you guys were really messed up and it was so hot and I was so worried and Sanzo still hasn't woken up and I don't know what I'll do if—" The flow of words were halted by a finger to the youth's mouth.

"Goku," Hakkai said in wonder. "How…when…" He was at a loss for words. This was impossible. "I thought the gods had taken you back."

"They had, but—"

"'But' my ass!" Gojyo said tackling the youth in a head lock from behind. "You've probably been frolicking around in Tenkai stuffing your face this whole time, asshole! I wasn't done yellin' at you, where do you get off ignoring me!"

Hakkai took a moment to appreciate the look and feel of the two males wrestling with each other on his bed and could not help the genuine smile that broke across his face.

"Neither of you are in a condition where you should be wrestling like that." He admonished. It was strange the warm feeling that the moment brought him. He hadn't been able to scold anyone like this in some time, and it felt strangely good to be able to half jokingly and half seriously tell the two squabbling males what to do. "Gojyo, you're still injured, and I'm sure Goku must be exhausted and starving after his ordeal." As if emphasizing the healer's words, Goku's stomach gave a mighty rumble and both he and Gojyo froze at the sound.

"Alright saru, we're going next door to get some grub." Gojyo said grabbing Goku by the collar. "We'll leave Hakkai here to check in with the half-dead prince over there." He jerked a thumb in the direction of the other bed in the room where Sanzo lay unmoving.

"Hey wait!" Goku protested as he was dragged towards the door leading to the adjoining room. "I wanna stay with Sanzo!" Hakkai had been anticipating this reaction, but he really did need some time alone with Sanzo to be sure the other man was alright. He didn't want Goku around if things turned out to be worse than they thought. He was preparing to give their youngest companion further encouragement, but Gojyo beat him to it.

"Really?" he said looking over at Goku with a calculating stare from the corner of his eye. "I hear this place has killer meat buns." That definitely caught the youth's attention. It could be assumed that in the three weeks he had been gone, Goku's access to any kind of food had been nonexistent. At the mention of one of his favorite dishes, his mouth began to water. There was still however, a clear struggle being waged within him between his need for food and his need to make sure that Sanzo was alright.

"You'll want to be at full strength when Sanzo wakes, Goku." Hakkai said reasonably. "You'll just be next door and I'll be with him. There isn't much you can do here right now anyway." Goku struggled with himself a moment more before giving in.

"Alright," he said, "but I'm coming back as soon as I'm done eating. You'll need to get some food too Hakkai." And with that, Goku dashed off to find someone to take their food order. Hakkai turned his gaze towards Gojyo who shrugged.

"He seems alright." Gojyo commented.

"We still don't know what's happened though." Was Hakkai's response

"We'll find out when droopy eyes wakes up." Gojyo sighed. "No point in having him repeat the story fifty times. I'd better go make sure he doesn't order the entire menu." And Gojyo exited as well.

Hakkai, left alone in the room with Sanzo sat in silence for a time adjusting to the change that had taken place within their group already. The effect of Goku's presence was immediate and wonderful, but also terrifying. Somehow Hakkai knew that things were not settled yet; Goku's reappearance had been way too easy. But that was a worry for another day. For now, he had to deal with the issue at hand.

He tested his own body before rising; standing slowly to gauge his body's reaction. He felt a little dehydrated and a bit sore, but for the most part, he knew that his strength had recovered. Sighing and stretching, Hakkai walked across the room to check on Sanzo. The priest would definitely be in for quite a surprise when he woke.

o—o—o—o

"_I heard your voice…I couldn't help but hear." There was the scent of burning tobacco on the wind._

"_I was rather annoyed, so I simply took you with me."_

_Sanzo was dreaming. He was sharing a moment with his master as only he could in dreams. It had been a crisp autumn day when he had come across his master smoking under a tree. _

"_Maybe you'll hear it someday too…a voice I mean." Komyou Sanzo said._

"_If someone did that to me," Sanzo replied, "I'd find him no matter what. And then I'd tell him to shut up and pop him in the head."_

_Sanzo had meant it then, and had followed through, but he too had taken the person calling to him along on his journeys. He thought that he would never again hear that voice; it had come and gone. But he could feel something from beyond his dream…_

_Someone was calling him._

"Goku." Sanzo opened his eyes as the name left his lips. He didn't know how he knew, but he did know that the saru was near-by. It was not Goku who answered him however. There was a rustling from beside him and he looked over to find Gojyo sitting in a chair beside his bed reading a newspaper.

"The saru's next door." He said simply. "Hakkai's with him. Something's wrong with him, but we can't figure out what."

"What are you babbling about?" Sanzo asked struggling up-right.

"Look," Gojyo said putting the paper aside. "We don't have details or anything like that. All we've got at this point is that three days ago, we were getting our asses kicked and Goku suddenly popped out of nowhere. Everything seemed alright until he tried to eat. He couldn't hold anything down. We didn't think much of it at first, but things have pretty much been going down hill since then."

Bracing himself, Sanzo pushed his bedcovers aside, swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood. He wavered slightly as the room tilted around him. He wasn't fully recovered yet after all. He still had healing wounds across his torso, he'd apparently been unconscious for three days, and he was still feeling the lingering effects of the scorpion venom in his system. That combined with the nasty sunburn on his face left Sanzo feeling generally shitty. He pushed all of that aside right now though.

"Where is he?" He asked, and Gojyo lead the way to the door that lead to the other room. Before opening the door, Gojyo turned back to Sanzo with a strange look in his eye that Sanzo did not recognize.

"It's only fair that I warn you, the saru ain't lookin' so good these days." Sanzo responded with a grunt and pushed past Gojyo to open the door. As the door swung opened, they were greeted with the sound of retching and coughing. Sanzo looked into the room to see Goku heaving over a basin, Hakkai holding his frame to support him while setting aside a glass of water.

"Hakkai, I can't," his voice rasped out after he'd caught his breath again. "This ain't gonna work." Sanzo was frozen in the doorway. The world seemed to be swaying once again. The figure that he saw before him cradling his head and leaning against Hakkai for support was alien to him. Goku sat on one of the beds in the room quivering in the other man's arms. He was wearing his night clothes. Even after he had vanished, they held on to his things unable and unwilling to discard them. The clothes hung limply from his now tiny form. His bones showed painfully through skin that looked like it was pulled too tightly over his frame. His once sun-warmed skin was ashen and fever bright. He looked like he hadn't eaten in weeks. Sanzo realized that he very well may not have eaten in weeks, but Goku had never _looked_ starved. He'd gone 500 years with nothing and come out perfectly healthy in body. This was a shock he was not prepared for.

He must have made some sound because suddenly, Hakkai and Goku both looked up to stare at where he and Gojyo stood. Goku's face lit up when he saw the monk, but the effect was spoiled by the wan, gaunt, sunken appearance of his eyes and skin.

"What the hell is going on?" Sanzo moved across the room to his charge noting that his diadem was still absent. "What's wrong with you, baka?" The words, while harsh on the surface, were laced with an undercurrent of concern. Sanzo knelt in front of Goku and reached out a hand to push back the mess of hair that covered the saru's face so that he could get a better look, and he was greeted by his third shock in as many minutes. The moment his skin came in contact with the saru's, there was a sudden jolt of energy and Goku was on the ground twitching and gasping for air. His eyes were wide and blood shot and he looked as though he would shudder apart at any moment. Hakkai went immediately to his side, but he didn't know how to help. Sanzo and Gojyo both stayed back to give the kid some air, but Sanzo thought he noticed a mark emblazoned on the saru's forehead; he couldn't see clearly enough to identify what it could be.

The fit passed, and Goku lay very still breathing heavily. His eyes were red as though they wanted to cry but had no tears for it. A tense silence had fallen over the room.

"Dammit." Goku rasped out. His voice was little more than a whisper. "He knows…he's probably watching us right now." His eyes turned to Sanzo. "I wanted to be sure you were alright, but I've stayed too long. He's—" Goku cried out as another shock of pain coursed through his body. The other men stood by watching, yet again unable to do anything to help their friend. He lay curled into himself trying to breathe once again, the small breath he could get shuddering from his lungs. Silence filled the room yet again which was the only reason the group heard the youth's last words. "Gotta go." He gasped, barely recognizable as speech. And then he was gone, vanishing just as suddenly as he had before. The three men stared at each other in the following silence once again helpless and confused.

o—o—o—o

Goku didn't know how he knew where to go, but he somehow intuitively knew how to find his master. At the moment, he didn't really care how he knew where to go, he just wanted the pain to stop. His entire body ached. In the three days that had passed in the world, he had known a hunger more keen than anything he had ever experienced before, but no matter how hard he tried to eat, he could not hold anything down. The desert heat had left him parched and thirsty, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't hold in any liquids either. He was exhausted beyond description, but when he lay to rest, he could not get comfortable and he could not sleep.

By all logic, be probably should have died of starvation, dehydration, and sleep deprivation about half-way through the second day. His increased strength and metabolism meant that he needed to replenish his energy more often than other people and because of that, he could burn out faster than other people. The fire that burned within him needed to be fed almost constantly, and if that meant that it had to feed off of his body itself, then it would, and for the past three days, it had. The problem was that the energy that could eat away at his physical self was the same energy that would keep him alive through it. He could suffer all the failings and malfunctions of his body, but as long as there was anything left of him for his energy to feed off of, he would not die.

He lay now at the feet of Li Touten understanding for the first time what it was to be bound to this being. His master could inflict pain at will, and the pain came from within, using Goku's own strength against him. Goku was apparently not able to replenish his energy if he was away from his master which meant that he would have to be in near constant contact with the kami. He could literally not be away from Li Touten for too long, and even if he did choose to escape rather than live as a slave to the kami's every wish, it would be a long and torturous road for him that would lead to a slow and lingering death. And there was nothing he could do to break this contract because he had entered it willingly.

Goku wanted to tremble, or be angry, or do something to help release the horror that had just clenched his heart, but he was too tired, and in too much pain.

"I suppose now you finally understand what it is to belong to me. I hope that this is a lesson that you won't soon forget." Goku could only shift his eyes to glare at the kami with absolute loathing. Li Touten's response was a sneer. He flicked a hand calling servants in. "Get it out of my sight; Nataku's rooms have been prepared. And get it some proper clothing. If this creature is going to serve me, it should at least appear civilized."

Gentle hands lifted Goku's aching body and carried him away. He tried to stay awake to find out where he was being taken, but fatigue won out now that he was actually able to rest. He was asleep before they had left the chamber.

When Goku woke some time later, he found that he had been bathed and clothed in rich silken robes, part of his mind was alarmed by the fact that he had been able to sleep through it all while part of him was confused by the luxury surrounding him. Setting those thoughts aside for later contemplation, Goku took a moment to take inventory of his condition. Having finally been able to rest and probably just being where he was had given him back much of his strength. He was still starving and thirsty, but it wasn't nearly the desperate need for food and drink that he had experienced before. There was a pitcher of water beside his bed, and ignoring the cup placed beside the pitcher, he lifted the pitcher to his mouth and emptied its contents. He wiped his mouth when he was done and waited for a moment. Satisfied that he would not puke up the water this time, he pushed back the blankets determined to find some food in this place.

Before he had managed to stand however, the door to his room opened and two servants entered pushing a large cart covered in steaming dishes. His stomach gave a painful stab as the servants silently placed the food on a table across the room from him along with another pitcher of water, then bowed and exited.

Goku rose slowly from his bed confused. He had not anticipated this kind of treatment and it made him suspicious. He sat down at the table and stared at the food. It would make no sense for the Li Touten to try to poison him, but it also made no sense for the kami to lavish Goku with so much…stuff. He didn't get it. Goku tried to consider the matter further, but he was starving, and the food smelled really good, and before he even realized it, he was shoving meat buns and noodles down his throat. For now, he would focus on getting his strength back. He'd think about the harder stuff later. With that decided, the saru set into his meal, pushing all other thoughts aside.

o—o—o—o

Author's Notes:

So here we have the next chapter. YAY! I'm still debating on how far I should push this cruelty thing for Goku. I'll probably stick to emotional trauma more than anything else 'cause I'm mean like that. I'd love to hear what you guys think, though. Keep the reviews coming!


	3. Devices

Disclaimer: this is not my universe, they're not my characters, and I'm sorry this took so long…here we go!

**III: Devices**

Kanzeon Bosatsu was in a very bad mood. She had known what was going to happen with Goku the moment he had been allowed to return to the surface; after all, Li Touten was sadistic enough a bastard to send the kid down there and not warn him of what would happen if he stayed too long without permission. She had tried to warn him herself, but the kid was stubborn, particularly when it came to the health of her reincarnated nephew. She had not, however, expected the results to be so severe, and she had also not expected the contact ban that had effectively kept her from being able to see the saru at all once he had returned to Tenkai. All of this only served to stoke the flames of rage that had been smoldering within her ever since that bastard had revealed how far his deceit truly lay.

She was still in charge of keeping an eye on the other three, so she had been watching as the kid wasted away at an unnatural rate, and as the others worried themselves sick trying to figure out what was going on. She knew that Li Touten had been watching too, waiting for just the right moment to use the searing pain that was his rightful means of punishment as master of a wayward charge. All of this knowledge was useless to her however. Her hands were tied and she could not interfere with Touten's affairs, but she wouldn't allow that restriction to keep her ignorant. She was after all "the one who sees and hears all."

She sat now contemplating the latest observations she had made. Two weeks had passed in the mortal plane since Goku had returned to Tenkai, and since that time, Li Touten had been preparing him for war. The kid had not even recovered from his time in the world before he was forced to undergo tests meant to gauge his skill in battle and his ability to control his own strength. He proved to be a more than competent fighter, but it became quickly obvious that he was sorely lacking in control of his newly awakened power. To remedy this deficiency, Touten had set the kid into a cruelly rigorous training regiment meant to obtain results quickly with no regard to physical consequences. She watched the "training techniques" Touten employed in horror. Li Touten called it training; it looked a hell of a lot more painful and dangerous than any training that Kanzeon had ever seen. But despite the negligible ethics involved, the desired results were being attained, and the bodhisattva was more than a little disturbed by the awakening power in the child. If not handled with exquisite care, he was still very much capable of becoming a force of destruction that not even the heavens could contain.

"Li, you dumbass." She murmured to herself, "you have no clue the viper you are creating and placing in your own bed." Goku, whether the kid had known it or not, already had a long standing hatred of the kami. His current situation was likely pushing the boundaries of loathing to heretofore unknown levels, and when that loathing was finally able to lash out, she didn't even want to imagine the resulting catastrophe that would ensue. She knew without a doubt that it was indeed a matter of "when" and not "if"; the only question was how deep his hatred would bleed before he was released. If things continued as they were, the kid would surely lose his mind, and when he was able to lash out, he would destroy Touten and everything else along with him. So Kanzeon knew that it was her responsibility to ensure that Goku was able to maintain some sense of self until she was able to set her plans into action.

Sighing, she sent a thought to one of the numerous lotus blossoms floating on the surface of her pond and set it drifting away. Almost every pond or fountain in Tenkai was connected somehow, and there was a pond in Nataku's chambers at Touten's estate. The blossom would find its way to Goku. He would get the message she had sent, and hopefully, it would be enough to keep him focused for the time being. She knew that there wasn't much time to delay. Plots were underway and she would need to work quickly if she wanted to keep the situation within her reach.

o—o—o—o

There was no point to tears. He'd cried when he was first taken back and locked in the darkness. He'd cried when he realized how fully trapped in Li Touten's plans he really was. He cried because tears were the only thing that he could call his own anymore, but there was no point. They didn't help. They didn't fend off the pain or the fatigue. They didn't change the fact that he was daily pushed to the limits of all physical and mental endurance until he snapped, as his master wanted, and released a power that he wasn't even aware he had. They didn't change the fact that even though he was being forced to gain control of these new abilities, it was becoming harder and harder to step back from that edge of blind desperate rage that allowed the spikes in his power. They didn't change the fact that there was no escaping Touten's control of his life. Even thinking negative thoughts about his master brought stabs of pain to his head, which meant that his head was in perpetual pain because the only thoughts in his mind were plans for vengeance against Li Touten. But one can only endure so much pain, and over time, his mind would simply stop thinking in order to escape. In the beginning, he had cried over such things, but he soon understood that there was no point to tears. Tears held no power here.

Goku lay bruised and battered in his lush surroundings. The luxury around him was an added jab to his already crappy life; a mockery of his status in this court. It implied a kindness that he did not actually enjoy, and returning to the chilly silk sheets, too-strong perfumes, and annoyingly long robes after endless hours of "training" that threatened to break his mind and body was just another blow to his crumbing will. It would be so much easier just to let it all go. The Creature still stalked at the edge of his consciousness, sometimes gifting him with images of what it could do to Li Touten and all the kami in Tenkai. They had allowed this to happen after all. They would all suffer for his pain. But Goku knew that it wouldn't stop there. The Creature reveled in destruction, and once it was done with Tenkai, it would seek prey in the world below, and all would end.

So he waited. His world was now made up of pain and waiting. He waited for the pain to stop only to wait for it to start again. He waited for the moments when hope would spark in him, whispering words of escape or rescue. He waited for hope to die. There was no telling how much time passed. It was always day in this place, the light gentle and diffused. But it was not the bright, sometimes harsh light of the sun, and that too had become a torment.

He didn't know what had drawn him to the small pond in the rooms that he now occupied; rooms that had once belonged to Nataku. Whatever had happened to Nataku, the friend that had been betrayed and betrayed him in ignorance? He had never found out. But the pond was before him and he sat heavily on its lip. He had managed to set and heal the compound fracture in his leg, but the ache would take a bit of time to fade and he didn't feel like dealing with the pain at the moment.

The water murmured tales of freedom, and he suddenly felt the need to experience the freedom it spoke of. It had been so long since he'd been able to play in a river or splash in a stream. Just for a moment, he needed to remember the flavor of that freedom. If he could get just one taste, he knew that it would be enough to help him remember all that he was when he was himself. Just one small taste. He reached out longingly for the surface of the water dancing as it was with lily pads and lotus blooms. But there was the pain.

A growing ache settled at the space between his temples and he fell to the ground clutching his chest as the pain burned its way through his nerves. He was left kneeling at the base of the pond, useless tears threatening to fall yet again. After a time that didn't exist, he rested his hand on the lip of the small wall that held the water back to lever himself up, and was shocked as something cool, clean and somehow familiar washed through him. He looked down to find a lotus bloom innocently nestling against his fingers. The air in the room seemed to change, and he felt like he was waking up after one of the snowy days that he'd always hated to see that the snow was starting to melt. There was a moment of warmth, but then the blossom drifted on. The feeling faded, but Goku thought that there was a strange tickle somewhere at the back of his brain; an almost-but-not-quite whisper.

'_Wake-up bakazaru. The game's not over yet.'_

o—o—o—o

So the damn faithless monk had finally snapped out of it. Gojyo knew that he had no business criticizing someone else for being in a funk after his own adventures in asshole land, but while Sanzo had always been damned pissy, he'd at least usually been able to keep his head. Leave it to the saru to be the one thing that finally got the illustrious Sanzo-sama flustered. Gojyo had been sure that after the kid had vanished again, it would be the same bullshit all over, but to both his and Hakkai's shock, the monk had risen the next morning bright and early with his game face firmly in place. It was a look that had been missing for a while.

"We're leaving." He'd said. "The saru can catch up."

Hell, even the damned jeep's jaw was on the floor. Things got closer to normal after that, though. Of course traveling was way too quiet with the idiot ape gone, and it was a strange filling for Gojyo to have a full meal without needing to fight for it, but the only black cloud floating over the group was the one formed from his and Sanzo's cigarette smoke, and even that had thinned considerably.

It was hard to say how, but Sanzo had figured that if they made it to their final destination, they would find Goku, and it was hard to say why, but they all knew that it was true. Reaching Gyumao's Palace would put an end to this shit in more than one way, and with that hope and that confidence, they were finally able to get back to business.

It had been about a month after they had last seen Goku when said shit hit the fan. The day was really nice, cool breeze, warm sun, birds chirping; the works. It had been a very long time since anyone had tried to kill them, and Gojyo was bored to tears. He had been staring off into space ('cause what eles was there to do) when he noticed a strange silhouette off in the distance.

"What the hell?" He questioned, sitting forward to try and get a better look. It didn't take long for the silhouette to work itself out, in fact, it actually began to multiply as Hakkai pulled Jeep to a stop. "Well shit." Gojyo muttered, calling in his weapon and jumping out of the jeep. The three companions stared in growing apprehension as several large flying dragons approached them from the West. There was only one person who they had seen utilize flying dragons, and last Gojyo remembered, they hadn't left the Youkai Prince on very good terms.

"It seems that Kougaiji has finally gotten serious." Hakkai commented, his most brittle smile masking his face.

"No." Sanzo said looking harder to the western horizon. "This isn't an attack." His brows were knit in concentration, and Gojyo's brain finally started to engage. The dragons were definitely not flying in an attack formation. As he looked to the horizon, he saw that there were several figures walking and staggering along the road. As the dragons came closer, he could see that some held children riding with older youkai, and others were bearing injured. The realization sank in like a rock to the bottom of an icy lake.

"It's a retreat." Gojyo breathed, and hopped back into the Jeep as Hakkai began gunning the engine. They drove quickly to meet the shabby group of youkai, and the group stopped walking to wait for them. The dragons had landed and Kougaiji stood waiting for them, heavily leaning on Dokugakuji when they arrived. Yaone and Lirin were close-by and Hakkai immediately moved to check the Prince's condition. It was a mark of how tired they all were that no one protested as Hakkai took Kougaiji into his care.

"What the hell happened?" Gojyo asked his brother, taking in all of the tired wary faces around them. He didn't like the weird nagging feeling that he was getting at the back of his mind.

"It's all over," Doku answered. "We're all that's left, the ones who were loyal to Kou are all that made it out. There were hundreds, but this…" Doku swayed on his feet as he gestured to the fifty-odd youkai scattered around them. Gojyo grabbed the older youkai and held him steady. He really didn't like where he thought this was heading. "He killed them all." Doku continued, and Gojyo could tell how freaked out his brother was. "It was a complete massacre."

"Who?" Gojyo pressed while dreading that he already new the answer. The response came from Kougaiji, his voice a weak, pain-filled rasp issuing from the dirt road where he lay.

"Goku."

o—o—o—o

He would not give in. This ass-wipe thought that he could break him, but Goku would not give him the pleasure of hearing him beg or seeing him fall apart ever again. He had already given too much to Li Touten. He'd been caught in a very weak and vulnerable state before, but the past several weeks and particularly this past assignment finally brought him back to his senses. What the hell? This guy wanted him to be his lap dog? Right. Sanzo would dance a jig while making out with Gojyo before that happened. He knew that he would not always be completely successful in his resistance, but he would resist…he _could_ resist. He knew that now with complete certainty, and though painful didn't even begin to describe the consequences, Goku knew that he could worm his way around Touten's orders if he had to. He had just learned this the hard way.

He'd been ordered to go West and stop the experiments going on with Gyumao. Take no prisoners and leave no witnesses. Those had been his orders. He had been sent down to kill everything associated with the experiment, and he had been just about ready to follow that order, until he arrived at the palace of a youkai female named Gyokumen and discovered that the situation was far more complicated than he had first figured. There were other people living at the palace, other youkai. There was an entire community of people there, some working with the experiment, some who had become experiments themselves, but others who were just living their lives.

Kougaiji and his crew were also there.

He had been ordered to kill everyone, but there were innocents there. He had no reason to kill the innocent. Hell, he had no real reason to kill anyone but those directly responsible for the whole minus wave mess, but he had his orders and to refuse was not something he thought he could really handle doing. So he followed his orders. He located the labs where the experiments were taking place with ease and unleashed his power on everyone and everything there. The beast was awakened a bit in those moments as blood and power flowed freely, but Goku was still in control…mostly.

He had been getting ready to turn away from the labs and head out to the other sections of the place when he had been met with resistance from Kou and the others. He had no desire to hurt them, but his body was acting a bit on its own…so maybe he had less control that he thought he did. There were frightened youkai beating a hasty retreat behind the youkai prince and those who stood with him, and there was part of Goku that wanted to lash out…to destroy them for attempting to stop him from following orders. Thankfully, most of him was still lucid enough to kick the shit out of that part of him and rein in the power that was ready to strike out and destroy. It had cost him a great deal just to do that, and he thought that his body would be torn apart from the inside by his resistance, but he was still alive, and he was still himself, so there was still hope.

"Get out of here!" Kougaiji and the others had stared at him strangely for a second at that. He could only imaging what he had looked and sounded like fighting himself and speaking through his own screams, and it probably didn't help that he had buried a fist in the stone wall in order to keep himself focused. "Go now." He ground out again "Before I kill you all."

"I cannot allow you to pass beyond this chamber." Through the haze of pain and bloodlust, Goku could recognize Kougaiji's voice. He couldn't understand why the prince was still resisting, the experiment was over. Was he really so committed to all that was happening here? "This is where my mother rests," he continued. "I will not allow you to destroy her even if it means my own life."

It was then that Goku noticed the figure emerging from shadows, trapped in a column, frozen in eternal grace. So that was it. All this time, Kougaiji had been defending his mother. There was still enough of his mind left to idly wonder how the woman was tied into everything else, but in the next moment he realized that he had attacked Kougaiji and had him pinned by the throat to the chamber wall.

"Leave now and I'll do my best to stay way from this part. Stay, and I will rip each of you apart, limb by limb and happily bathe in your blood." The beast had surfaced. Goku watched in fascination as Kougaiji came to the realization that Goku could and would carry out the threat, and as he looked back to the other youkai still escaping, families and children fleeing in terror, a decision was made in his eyes. He looked back at Goku, and he must have seen something there that allowed him some peace. He gave a slight nod, and Goku was able to release the prince with little to no struggle with himself. Kougaiji then began issuing orders even as his friends rushed forward to support him.

Kougaiji got his people out, and as Goku left the chamber, he brought down half of the palace to block his way back. He really hadn't wanted to hurt any of those people. Making rubble out of the vacated parts of the palace had been enough to calm the screaming agony that was a living breathing thing within Goku at that point, but when it was all over, the experiment had been stopped and the minus wave that had made all of the youkai insane was theoretically nullified. There were no prisoners, but many witnesses had walked away, and for this Goku knew he would be punished.

It was really pretty strange when he thought about it. He had actually finally managed to end the journey west that had started this mad adventure with the others, and it was all because this asshole who wanted to claim Goku as his property had decided so. Yet even though all the original mission goals had been met, it wasn't enough. Lame. It was finished now, but Sanzo and the others probably didn't even know it yet. He would love to see the look on Gojyo's face when they arrived at Gyumao's place to find the heap of rubble he'd left behind. He almost smiled at that thought, but there was a sudden intensifying of the pain in his body and for a moment he could think of nothing else.

Damn it all to hell! Kougaiji owed him big for this. HUGE. Next time he saw the demon prince, the guy'd better have a very large platter of every one of his favorite foods ready. He convulsed as he felt a tickling of Li Touten's pleasure at his suffering slither across his senses. That had been another rude surprise. There was some connection between the two that allowed Touten to read Goku's emotions and vice versa. The jerk could also force feed Goku feelings if he wanted to and he took great pleasure playing that card. It was enough to turn Goku's stomach. But he wasn't thinking about that right now. He wasn't thinking about the fire coursing through his veins with every pulse of his heart, he wasn't thinking about his straining muscles, his head splitting apart, and the blood in his throat where he had screamed it raw. Much better to consider all the great things that he would eat as soon as he was out of this place. The journey west was over, so Sanzo and the others would probably be heading home soon. He'd have to hurry if he didn't want to be left behind. Hakkai would probably cook sukiyaki if he asked nicely enough. He just had to get back. Just had to get back.

o—o—o—o

Kanzeon had been watching when it happened. Goku's screams echoed through Li Touten's estate, carrying through the corridors and across the ponds and fountains. As servants turned down their faces and went about their business, she was still watching, and so she was the one who saw.

A twitch.

Kannon (the other name for Kanzeon Bosatsu) literally means "watchful listening," which could be loosely translated as "the one who sees and hears all."

AN:

Okay, okay…you can put down the pitch forks already. I'm sorry. Yes…it's been like 6 months since I last updated, and this is totally not enough story to make up for that ridiculous lapse in time, but what can I say? School is a time vampire, and work…well, work consumes the soul. I've been reticent in my duties, and I apologize.

Time is not the only thing that has kept me away from this story tho. I've found that somewhere in the developing process, I forgot a step, and that has really been a set back. In this story I have been attempting to examine some things and set a bit more serious a tone, but I was beginning to feel like I was turning this story into a massive angstfest…and while I'm as much a fan of angst as the next fangirl…there does come a point when enough becomes too much and then all you have is unrecognizable characters and a whole lot of drama. I realized that I'd not spent nearly enough time figuring out characterizations and what I was actually working towards. After a great deal of contemplation on feedback that I was receiving, I attempted to do some revisiting of character representation.

Another change that has been made in my writing is in reference to Kanzeon Bosatsu. In the past I used (as many others use) the combined gender term "hir" as a pronoun to describe the dual sexed nature of this particular deity, but upon further contemplation, I've decided that based on appearance and behaviour, Minekura's Kannon has taken on a female identity and I will from this point on address her as such.

I've got prolly another chapter left and then like…an epilogue…maybe, but we are nearing the end. Hopefully it'll be less than six months before you guys get to find out what happens, or if you're absolutely desperate to find out the basic layout of what will happen in the end, shoot me an email, and I'll tell you…hey, that's only fair, ne? But I promise, I do plan to finish. Don't give up on me yet!

Huge thanks to Kryscylla for ideas and support despite my sporadic presence in the cyber realm, and also to Syrah whole eloquent words were the final prodding rod to help me finally get this out. Also, to all who review, you rock! Your feedback totally helps me shape the story and work out the problems in it. You guys ROCK!

-finem


	4. Release

Long awaited and long anticipated. The final chapter of Control! Yay! Soooooooo sorry for the wait…I hope this is worth it ; Anyhoo…usual disclaimers, they're awesome but not mine. Enjoy!

**IV. Release**

Sanzo knew that he probably shouldn't be glaring, but there was something about the being that stood before him that grated on his nerves. A vein in his temple set to throbbing just looking at…her? And she was in his face. After the mess with Kougaiji, it was late enough that they had needed to set up camp, and that had given them a chance to regroup and decide where to go from there. The general consensus was that more information was needed before they could come up with a course of action, and that's when Kanzeon Bosatsu had made her appearance…and now she was in his face. He wondered idle if it was a damnable offense to pull a gun on a bodhisattva, but then she was speaking.

"This still too boring for you, Konzen?" she asked in an amused, throaty voice.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sanzo asked, ever the diplomat.

"You're still as adorable as ever." She smirked, which only served to irritate the priest more. This was the Goddess of Mercy? Why was she there? Why were Hakkai and Gojyo looking at him like he was supposed to know what was going on? And why did he have a sinking suspicion that the goddess was going to try to pinch his cheeks or something equally moronic? This whole situation was pissing him off.

"Enough play." She said, changing moods fast enough to catch even Sanzo off guard. "You wanted more information, so here I am. What do you wanna know?" There was a long shocked silence in the room.

"You're sayin' that just like that, you'll tell us everything?" Gojyo was the one to break the silence as usual. The loudmouth bastard never could figure out how to hold his tongue.

"That's right, cutie." She winked at the kappa. " 'Ask and ye shall receive' and all that shit. So again, what do you wanna know?" Well…since she was offering, Sanzo wasn't going to pass up the opportunity. He'd see just how far this kami's words went.

"Everything." He said simply. "What heaven has against Goku, why he was locked away, why you are so interested in this group. Everything."

"Curious as ever, aren't you?" The kami's eyes were on Sanzo once again. "And if you don't like what I have to say?" It was Hakkai who answered the question.

"It's the only way that we can know how to proceed." He told her. "Please tell us everything you know pertaining to ourselves and Goku." The weird smirk was on her face again.

"Alright then, boys. Get comfortable because this might take a while."

o—o—o—o

Strength. Power. So similar, yet so different. The strong were not inherently powerful, and not all those with power were necessarily strong. Power was often given to or taken by those who did not deserve it, and often times, those individuals were in fact weaker than the average being. They used their power as a weapon; a type of compensation for their lack of strength. Often times they hold power over others who are also weak, seeking power of their own. But then there are those who manage somehow to cage something that is strong in its own right. They abuse the strength that they hold, convinced that their power over that strength is absolute, but that is the fatal flaw of the weak and powerful; when caging strength that is beyond their power, it is only a matter of time before that strength breaks free…and seeks revenge.

Goku thought on this as he was being led to yet another "training session." When he had first discovered his true strength, the change had made him weak. He had more strength than anyone could ever dream of, but Li Touten held all of the power from the start. Time and the rigorous training that he was forced to undergo had changed all of that. With every passing day, Goku gained more and more power. He was learning patience, and keeping track of every offense thrown his way by the kami.

He was pulled from his thoughts for a moment for reasons he could not quite name. It was almost like there was a strange tickle at the edge of his senses. Looking up, he realized that they were moving past the place where Nataku sat staring into the eternal light of Tenkai. There sat another offense that would need to be paid back to Li Touten. Nataku had suffered the abuses of his father for as long as Goku had known the other boy, and it was his father that drove the War Prince to his current state.

'I'll pay him back in full.' He sent the thought towards his once friend knowing that the act was likely a wasted effort. "I'll pay him back for both of us." He continued past the area, concentrating on his rage to get him trough whatever new horrors were to come today, but even as he moved away to gain a bit more power over his master and a bit more incentive for revenge, the same tickle, a bare whisper of a presence that seemed somehow familiar, traced over his senses. Goku smiled inwardly as he continued laying his plans, ignoring the non-contact. He would have to stay alert for an opportunity to break free. If he could just get around that damned contract, Li Touten would be through. He just had to wait for the right moment.

No one walking by had even noticed that there was another, creeping through the shadows to approach the former War Prince.

o—o—o—o

Things were falling into place. She had just made contact with Jiroushin. He was taking care of his side of things. Now she just had to be sure that her people were ready. They had taken the story about their past incarnations as well as could be expected…better than expected, actually. She'd moved straight into the part about her plan to get the kid to them. They had taken well to that also even if the process would be a bit convoluted. What they were not so keen on was the part about the contract. That was a bit of a blind leap; lots of 'ifs' to account for, but she was sure that her plan would work. Still, the looks on their faces when she talked about all possible outcomes were adorable. If ever she needed to confirm that Son Goku had a positive and lasting effect on her nephew in both of his incarnations, she would need only remember the parting words she received from the monk as his group departed for the Temple of the Setting Sun.

"If he dies, so do you."

The words were a promise. It would be hell, but she knew that Sanzo would find a way to hunt her down and seal that vow, or die trying. Such an attitude; such passion! The inflection was the same flat monotone, but there was a force behind the words unlike anything she had ever heard in the voice of her bored nephew.

"Don't worry, Konzen." She said returning to her pond to continue doing her part to pull the last piece into place. "I'll make sure that you hold on to anything that brings you this much fun."

o—o—o—o

Things were falling apart. Goku had known that this order was coming, but he had not been expecting it this soon. He wasn't ready. He hadn't found a way to break away yet, and that was the problem. If he was still under Touten's command, he didn't know how long he would be able to resist the order to kill especially if it was very specific.

"It seems that your friends are even more foolish than we had originally believed." Touten sneered. "It has been discovered that your companions are planning to attempt to raid Tenkai."

"Right, cause people just wander into heaven everyday." Goku spat back furiously. If he was going to be sent to kill his friends, it sure as hell wasn't going to be on some bull-shit reason like that.

"On the contrary," The kami seemed to be taking great pleasure in holding this power over him. "It is known to many that the Temple of the Setting Sun serves as a gateway between Heaven and Earth. Genjo Sanzo has spoken on several occasions to the Sanbutsushin from that place. According to reports from the Sanbutsushin themselves, he has apparently now discovered a way to create a gateway that can bring mortals to the immortal realm using all five of the sutras entrusted to the mortal plane. He is traveling with those who were responsible for the resurrection of Gyumao. They are the one who must have provided the other sutras."

"No." Goku whispered the word quietly at first, refusing to believe what this power-hungry maniac was telling him. The others wouldn't be stupid enough to try something like that.

"It is a capitol offense for mortals to attempt to enter the immortal realm."

"No!" Sanzo wasn't an idiot. He would know the consequences of even trying to…

"By order of Tentei, Heaven's King, ruler of this land…"

"NO!" He wouldn't do it! He couldn't…

"I order you, Toushin Taishi Son Goku, to use all of your power in fulfilling Heaven's will and execute the rebels Genjo Sanzo, Cho Hakkai, Sha Gojyo, and all who stand with them."

Goku could only stare helplessly, filled with impotent fury as Li Touten issued the command. It was sealed. There was no way to break it now. The kami moved closer, gloating in his victory.

"This time, you will bring me their heads. If you don't I will see to it that everyone who has ever aided you in any way will suffer for your transgressions."

Concentrating all of his will, Goku tried to lash out then. He leapt at Li Touten intent on murder, but as always he hit the barrier imposed by the contract he was bound by which left him twitching in agony on the kami's floor. Touten looked down on him with contempt, shaking his head.

"Why I mush put up with such stupid animals is beyond me." He said and turned to walk away.

Goku lay were he was, mind racing as he tried to find a way around what he had just been ordered to do. He couldn't do it…but he also couldn't not do it. He felt a part of his mind try to slip, but he caught it and held it. He would figure something out. He had to. There was no other choice.

o—o—o—o

"So do you really think this is gonna work?" Gojyo asked Hakkai for what seemed like the millionth time. The Journey to the Temple of the Setting Sun was ludicrously short with the help of Kougaiji's flying dragons, but over the course of the journey, Gojyo had persisted in asking his question over, and over… and over again. And since they had arrived over 3 hours ago, he had continued asking the question over, and over… and over again.

"As I said before, Gojyo," Hakkai said putting on his brightest, fakest smile. "it's the best we have at this point." The smile dropped as he became very serious. "For better or for worse, this ends today."

"Well…let's hope that bodhisattva broad comes through with her end, 'cause if what she said is true, and Goku is under some kind of brain-fuck contract, sounds like he'll have no choice but to kill us…if he's even coming that is." Gojyo pulled out another cigarette and tossed the one he had just finished. "What the hell kind of plan is this anyway? You'd think that heaven would know that there is no way we could just break in." He took a drag and put his lighter away. "Or at least that we don't even have all five sutras. Who would believe that bullshit? Hell, I don't even believe it!"

"What I don't believe is how your lips are still flapping." Sanzo growled out. "Shut-up or get out."

"And who the fuck died and made you Tentei, you lame-ass monk! I'll say whatever the fuck I feel like!"

"That's it! You won't have to worry about Goku taking you out! I'm gonna kill you right now!"

Hakkai sat on the temple floor near-by with Kougaiji, Yaone, Dokugakuji, and Lirin preparing the tea that he had brought along.

"Even at a time like this…" Yaone commented as she accepted her cup.

"I would be worried if they were not bickering actually," Hakkai said smiling and handing the next cup to Doku. "Please refrain from using foul language in the temple." He called over to his companions as he handed off the next cup. "They both just need to blow off some—" Hakkai was interrupted as a strong tremor shook the ground. Silence filled the room as the seven companions held a collective breath. Attention was directed to the far end of the chamber. Though it was shrouded in shadows, there was no mistaking the aura that was coming from that direction.

"Leave. Now."

The voice that spoke sounded nothing like Goku's. It was slightly raspy, as thought the vocal cords had been damaged, and it sounded somehow older…much, much older.

"I've been ordered to use all of my power to kill you all." Flames suddenly flared around the room. "I'm supposed to stop you, and bring your heads to Li Touten." The temperature in the room dropped suddenly so that breath became visible. "I've become stronger than any of you can handle." Blades and weapons hit the floor and bent or crumbled where they lay. Goku stepped forward into the firelight so that they all could see him clearly and know that he was serious. "Leave now, or die." He planted the butt of his nyoibou onto the floor, and when it impacted, a shock moved through the entire temple sending dust and pebbles falling from above.

Silence again filled the room as everyone stared at Goku. They likely should have been considering whether or not they would take up the offer, but everyone was more in shock of the Goku that stood before them. Gone was the scrawny, hyper, chibi-saru. The man that stood before them was much changed. His hair was longer, his clothes were different, and his skin was darker, yes, but the changes were far deeper than physical. He was not taller, but the way he carried himself now made it seem as if he towered over them. He had always been 500-plus years old, but now, he somehow looked it, though he still had the outward appearance of a 19-year-old. He had changed so much in the three months he had been apart from them.

"Would y'guys quit starin' an' leave already!" Yet still somehow, the same saru.

"Right, and leave all the fun of kicking what's-his-face's ass to you? Not likely." It was not shocking that Gojyo was the one to pipe in and break the group's silence.

"Yeah, that ass-wipe is mine." Goku flinched a little at saying this, but covered it fairly well. "I'm already gonna catch hell for letting you go and even more when I try to stop him from killing all the people we met going west, so you guys really need to get out of here before it's too late!"

"It was too late the moment they stepped into this temple." Another voice spoke from the shadows, smug and self-satisfied. Goku suddenly cried out and fell to one knee, clutching his staff for support. Li Touten stepped into the light and looked down on his slave in disgust. "You will not defy me again."

"Get outta here." Goku said to the others, teeth clenched against the pain.

"Silence." Touten bit out sending Goku to the ground clutching his head. "You've received an order. You will obey." Goku began shaking his head vigorously. "Kill them." There was a smirk plainly in the kami's voice. The bastard was enjoying this! He knew, after all, that he would win in the end, and he had the patience of eternity to wait out Goku's breaking point. Goku knew this too. Desperate, he looked up to his last hope. If he could convince Sanzo, the others would follow; they always did. Locking eyes with his friend, his sun, his family, his savior, he put as much pleading as he dared behind his single message.

"Go."

Sanzo did not break eye contact but simply shook his head once in refusal.

"I once promised you that if you ever lost control, I would kill you myself." Sanzo said holding his gaze intently. "I'm here to make good on that promise." Goku's vision began to blur and he realized that he was crying, but for what he could not say.

"And if you think that we're gonna let a brat like you take us down after all the shit we've been through, you've got another thing comin'." Gojyo chimed in casually resting an elbow on Sanzo's shoulder.

"It would be inconvenient to have traveled so far and die after the objective was reached." Hakkai said. Jiipu 'kyu'ed in agreement from his shoulder.

"Son Goku. We still have unfinished business. After this, I plan to face you, alone, with my own strength." Kougaiji stood with Sanzo and the others to face of with Li Touten, and the rest of his group followed suit.

"How very touching." Touten mocked. "If I actually cared I might even be moved. But what none of you seem to understand is that there is no choice in this matter." He grabbed Goku by the hair and pulled his head up so that they were face to face. "Son Goku. Your will is mine. You will no longer resist. Kill these intruders and bring me their heads." He casually released the saru wiping his hands off with a napkin. Goku was already on his feet, face hidden in shadow.

"You guys'll have to stop me now. It's outta my control." Almost before he had finished speaking, he had moved, far more quickly than any of them could follow. Suddenly, he was upon them, nyoibou sending them flying in all directions.

"Stop him with what." Doku grumbled to his brother. "He crushed all of our weapons already." Even as he spoke, their weapons righted themselves where they lay. Gojyo turned an eye to Goku who was attacking Sanzo now but not exploiting any of the monk's known weaknesses or dealing any critical damage.

"Looks like the saru's still in there somewhere." Gojyo muttered to his brother. "We might live through this yet. Where the fuck is Kannon already?"

"Better to worry about where you are Gojyo-san!" Hakkai said raising a chi shield as a blast of Goku's chi energy came hurtling towards them. It hit with enough force to knock them all back despite the shield.

"Where the fuck did he learn this shit!" There was gun fire from behind them and they turned in time to see Sanzo's gun become frozen solid, fall to the ground and shatter. "Oooo! Now Sanzo's really pissed."

Lirin and Yaone attempted to attack him from two sides. He simply lifted his hands above his head in two swift arcs, and the earth beneath them followed his motions, sending up shields of stone to stop them. Gojyo lifted his weapon and sent the blade flying to bind his friend to buy some time, but Goku detected the move and knocked the blade away with a chi-shielded hand following up with another chi blast to knock Gojyo back again. And behind all of it, completely out of place in the madness was Li Touten's laughter.

"I hope you're enjoying this Kenren. Sharing your last moments with the creature you worked so hard to protect! I'll make sure you watch him kill your little green eyed woman before he kills you!"

"Don't tell me this shit is about everything that happened forever ago!" Gojyo said struggling to his feet. "How long have you been holding this grudge? Get a fucking life!" Touten stopped laughing then, glaring angrily at Gojyo.

"Good idea. I think I'll take yours." He focused his attention back to Goku "No more games. Finish this!" with those words said, Goku turned suddenly on Li Touten intent on dealing a blow of some kind; maybe enough to knock him momentarily unconscious. Touten was ready for the attempt, however. He held up a finger pointing it at Goku as he approached and the youth went screaming backwards, writhing in pain on his back. When he stopped, Touten's arm was still up, now pointing at the others around the chamber in various stages of bruised.

"Finish it." He said, then stepped back to watch.

Goku struggled to his feet panting. This was really about to happen. They had not been able to touch him at all. Not Kougaiji's summons beast, not Hakkai's chi blasts, not Yaone's bombs, not Sanzo's sutras; nothing. He stood now trying to figure out what to do, the many ways he could kill them all flashing through his mind, and without his willing it, his body began to move. He leapt into the air and brought the butt of his nyoibou down releasing a bubble of chi that knocked everyone to the walls with enough force to break bones followed by a wave of stone that would pin them all in place. There were tears streaming down his face. This was it. A final blow and he would take all of their heads off. This would end it, and end himself, because if he killed them all, there would be nothing left of him to keep the beast at bay. All would end. He took some pleasure in knowing that Li Touten would be among the first to die. He had been feeding the beast within enough interesting things to do to an immortal's body while keeping it alive. That should entertain the creature for some time.

He fought as hard as he could against the power controlling his strength, but he knew in the end it was useless. His arm was moving. It was moving more slowly than it would under normal conditions, but it was moving. The blade of ice was already formed at the edge of his staff. He focused accusing eyes on Sanzo, the bastard. He was bleeding and unconscious and about to die at Goku's hands. How could he? He'd made a promise.

The staff and blade began to move towards their marks. Goku steeled himself for the chaos that was about to be unleashed. He hated himself for his weakness, but there was nothing he could do. This was the end.

"I break this bond."

A voice rang out through the chamber, and Goku fell limp to the ground, a puppet whose stings had just been cut. A light filled the room blinding him, but Goku didn't care. He was free. Finally free. Nothing else mattered. Over time, he realized that someone was speaking to him, calling his name. The voice was not familiar, but somehow, the presence was. It took a bit to convince his mind that it was worth it to return to the rest of the world, but once he did, he opened his eyes to meet a pair of indigo eyes that he had not seen in a very, very long time.

"N-Nataku?" He asked incredulously. His mind was not functioning well enough at the moment to put together what was happening.

"It's alright Goku." The true War Prince said, looking up at his father. "This ends now."

"So this is what the bitch was up to." Li Touten's voice rang out into the stillness of the temple. "Waking my son, the only other person of my line, to break the bond. Clever."

"More than that, sweetie." There was a glimmer in the room and Kanzeon Bosatsu made her appearance. "I've also been talking with Tentei about what you've been up to lately. The Sanbutsushin agreed to help distract you so that we could wake Nataku, and now that Nataku is awake to offer new insight into events of the past, Tentei'd like to have a little chat with you."

To say that the look on Li Touten's face expressed irritation would be a mockery of the term. He was flaming pissed.

"So this is what you've been about, you conniving bitch!" He spit at the goddess. "You think you've won, don't you? Well you forget. That _thing _is still under the jurisdiction of heaven. He may not be under my control any longer, but Tentei will not stand for allowing it to roam the earth freely!" The kami was suddenly knocked back by a blast of chi. As he righted himself, he looked up to see Goku struggling to his feet.

"Fuck You." He said. "You trained me to be stronger'n anybody else. Well, I am now, so if you or anyone in heaven ever tries to mess with me or any of us again, I will find you first, and rip out your throat with my own hands, then use everything you taught me to stop anyone else who gets in my way."

Li Touten glared venom at the saru and the others in the chamber, but he held his tongue. Accepting the situation for the time being, he vanished into the surrounding darkness already plotting how he could spin the situation to work out in his favor.

"Alright boys," Kanzeon muttered in Goku and Nataku's general direction. "Enjoy your warm reunion. The rest is up to you." She vanished in a flare of light to follow Touten back to Tenkai.

The silence that followed was painful. The others had been saved from death, but they were all hurt, badly, and Goku knew that he was responsible. He stood surveying the damage he had done while under Li Touten's control and sighed.

"Nataku." He said, not turning to face his friend from long ago. "Thanks for the help an' all, but before we can catch up on the past 500 years, I gotta take care of this; gotta take care of them."

"It's alright." Nataku returned, stepping forward to place a hand on Goku's shoulder. "I'll help you. We'll take care of it together. We have all the time in the world to do whatever we want."

End

A/N:

So…there you go. That's how it ends…I must say, I really liked the prequel to this story a lot better. I think that the writing was easier 'cause everyone was more themselves before. Now everything is angst forever and limited happiness and seeing as that kind of environment is contrary to the characters' mind-sets, it caused a bit of awkwardness at times. There will likely be an epilogue to tie up some loose ends, but it won't be very long. Thank you all for bearing with me through my slow, slow updates. Please let me know what you thought of the story.


	5. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

Sanzo woke to the smell of brewing coffee. This was not something he was expecting as he hadn't expected to wake at all, but there was the distinct smell of coffee in the air, the feel of a firm mattress at his back, and a myriad of other sounds and smells that were very familiar to him. He opened his eyes to stare up at a familiar ceiling, and turned his head to see a familiar view out his window. He was back at his home temple.

"I was surprised as well," a familiar voice said from somewhere in the room. Sanzo turned his gaze to Hakkai who was walking towards him with a cup of coffee. "It seems that Goku managed to spare us after all." Sanzo merely grunted as he accepted the proffered mug.

"We're all here." Hakkai continued sitting on a cot across the room. "Gojyo is off wandering with Dokugakuji and Kougaiji, Lirin, and Yaone are in other rooms in the temple. We're all a little stiff, but we seem to have been healed of all major injuries." Sanzo continued to sit in silence sipping his coffee and trying not to think too much at the moment.

"I wonder if Goku is alright." Hakkai said into the silence. Then stood, and with a sorrowful backwards glance left the room and Sanzo to his thoughts.

o—o—o—o

"Well this is some outfit you've set yourself up with, bro."

"You act like I asked for all this bullshit. It's a pain in my ass."

There was a slight pause as Dokugakuji debated on whether or not he should deliver the next line, but it was true. There was no reason he shouldn't say it…

"I'm glad though." He said avoiding eye contact. He knew his half brother wasn't fond of this "emotional shit" as he called it. "You seem happy." The predicted scoff was delivered as the redhead exhaled an acrid cloud of smoke.

"If this is happiness, then it sure as hell is overated."

Doku accepted the words, but he also saw the slight curve to his brother's lips, his relaxed posture as they say looking over the temple grounds. It had been a long time, but he could still read his brother as he always could. He was glad that his brother had found family after so long; that there was a place that he belonged, and while Doku knew that Gojyo was fairly satisfied with his life to date, there was still a shadow that loomed over him; a shadow born of the recent events that had brought them all here.

"Do you think he's alright somewhere," He asked, "Son Goku?" Gojyo took a long final drag from his cigarette, then put it out against the bottom of his shoe.

"Hell if I know." He said throwing the butt away. "Maybe I used to be a kami, but I sure as hell ain't one now, so I've got no clue what's going down in Tenkai. You'd think that bitch Kannon would at least drop us a hint or something." Doku had nothing to say to that so he let the comment pass into silence, a slight breeze cooling the afternoon sun that shone down on them. There was a long pause before Gojyo spoke again.

"Y'know," he said, crimson eyes staring off towards the horizon. "I think I understand now how you felt. Doing everything you could to help me, but knowing that it would never be enough." Doku's lips curved in a self-deprecating smile. After all of these years, his kid brother was still thinking about all of that stuff.

"Yeah well…" he said picking at the grass where they were sitting. "Sometimes you get to look back and realize that maybe it was enough…that maybe things don't turn out as bad as you fear." Another scoff from the hanyou.

"You're not getting' soft on me now are ya bro? I might have to put a few more years between us if you are."

"Who me?" Doku said with a sharp smack to the back of his half brother's head. "Never. I'm just glad you've found something precious to hold on to." He stood noting that Hakkai had come out of the temple and was apparently heading in their direction. "Things may look bad now, but don't forget about what you still have. Now is the time to hold on to those things the most. Gojyo looked from his brother to Hakkai and pulled out another cigarette.

"Well shit." He said flicking his lighter. Was he really that transparent?

"Only to those who care." His brother said. Apparently now the guy was a mind reader. He grunted in response and levered himself up to his feet. If Hakkai was looking for them that meant that Sanzo was awake. Time to get back to the pleasantries of reality.

o—o—o—o

Goku sat atop a tall column of rock in a valley filled with columns that looked much the same. This was where his life had begun. This rock was his mother, his father, the closest thing to birth family that he had. Looking down at the impassive stone, though it pulsed with and energy that was both warm and comforting, he couldn't help think what a sad substitute for his other family it would be. He would never hear the end of it if Gojyo ever found out about this place. He could hear the Kappa's voice now, '_No wonder you have rocks for brains!' _Goku smiled softly thinking about his friends. A familiar presence appeared behind him and he turned to find Nataku sitting at the edge of the rock.

"So are they done debating?" he asked walking over to his friend. They had spent the past several days pleading their case before Tenkai's high council headed by Tentei himself. Goku really didn't care what the council decided. Even if things did not turn out in his favor, he would return to Earth as planned and ignore heaven's demands, but if things did come out in his favor, it would make his life much easier. So he had put up with the questions and accusations, the fear in the eyes of the other kami…and again coming face to face with Li Touten. After he had said his piece, he had been dismissed while the council deliberated, and since his memories had returned, he decided to visit this place once more. Nataku sat quietly looking over the landscape his back to his friend.

"They are." He said at length. "There were many who spoke out against you. Even after all of this time and all of the evidence to prove your innocence, there were many who wanted to lock you away again. There were others though who were disgusted with what my father had done, and that seemed to over power any other feeling they might have had." Nataku continued looking out across the valley of stone columns, refusing to face Goku. It was making Goku uncomfortable. What was the problem? They had already discussed how they would deal with any negative decision made. Why was Nataku acting this way?

"In the end, my father has far too much influence in Tenkai to be truly punished for his actions. He was stripped of his control of Heaven's armies, but he will not be banished or imprisoned…neither will you." For such good news, Nataku didn't sound very happy.

"What aren't you telling me?" Goku asked sitting down beside his friend.

"They've put me in charge of the armies in my father's place. The position was rightfully mine to begin with, but, well….you know what happened." Goku nodded silent acknowledgement. "It was suggested by some that perhaps it would be best for you to still remain in Tenkai where the kami could keep a closer eye one you. The suggestion was dismissed, but I had already been thinking of asking you to work with me. You would be second in command leading all of heaven's armies to defend the world and Tenkai both…but it would mean that you would have to stay in Tenkai, and limit your contact with the surface world.

Goku simply stared at this friend; the first real friend that he had ever made. He knew what he was asking. Nataku wanted him to chose between him and Sanzo, Hakkai, and Gojyo. To stay in heaven and never see them again, or return to the world and never see him again. He couldn't be serious.

"Nataku, what the hell?" He said looking at the War Prince…no he was a War Lord now. "You know I can't stay there with those people, they're everything I hate _and_ some! I don't belong there."

"Nor do you belong on the surface. You're an immortal; not human, not youkai, not kami, but a unique existence in this—"

"Don't give me that bullshit! You know it doesn't matter to me. I may not belong on heaven or earth, but if there's one thing all of this has taught me, it's that I belong with them. I know they'll get old, and one day they'll die and leave me behind, but even if it takes another 500 years, I'll find them again, and again if I have to."

"And what about me?" Nataku said finally turning to look Goku in the eyes. "The only memories I have of Tenkai are of me being used as a tool in my father's schemes. The other kami look down on me, aside from Kanzeon Bosatsu, I have no support in the council. I no more belong there than you do. Would you really leave me alone there, after everything that's happened?"

Goku looked at Nataku in shock. So that's what this was really about. He didn't want to be left to the vipers alone.

"Nataku, I…" He didn't know what to say. They had each spent 500 years locked away in their own personal prisons, and now that they were both finally free, there were about to be separated yet again. It wasn't fair…it wasn't right…it wasn't—

wait a minute…

"Nataku, you're actin' like we only got one choice or somthin'."

o—o—o—o

**Ending 1:**

Sanzo was pulled from his sleep by the sound of angry feet running towards his room. It was a sound that he was very familiar with, and one he hadn't heard since he had left the temple with Goku over a year ago. Kougaiji and his party had left a couple of days ago so it wouldn't be his brat sister causing problems, so what the hell had the monks' tunics in a twist now?

"Sanzo-sama! Sanzo-sama!" Came the predicted summons.

"What is it now?" Sanzo asked squeezing the bridge of his nose. Had these idiots always been so fucking annoying?

"Sanzo-sama! This is unacceptable! We were willing to accept the presence of your ward because the heavens had ordered it, but two of them?"

Sanzo had exited his room as soon as the word 'ward' had left the other man's mouth and he only vaguely heard the rest of it. He rushed out into the courtyart and over to where the rest of the monks were hovering like a swarm of angry wasps. They were gathered around the peach tree that was meant to be an offering to Kanzeon Bosatsu. Sanzo walked over to the tree and looked up. Sitting amongst the branches were two rumpled youths merrily munching away at the sacred peaches.

"Nah! Sanzo!" The excited voice of a familiar saru called down. "You wouldn't mind if Nataku stayed with us would you?"

Sanzo could feel the veins pulsing at his temples. That bitch Kanzeon was probably watching this right now and laughing her ass off. Glaring daggers at the sky, Sanzo reached up, grabbed a peach and tore into it with relish.

**Ending 2:**

Gojyo, Sanzo, Hakkai, and Jiipu sat staring in a kind of bemused confusion at the mess of blood and limbs that surrounded them. They were in a council room of some kind, and the whole area seemed to glow with a kind of ethereal light. None of them knew how they had gotten there. One moment they had been sitting down to dinner and the next here they were. In a sudden dazzle of light two blood stained figures appeared, broad grins on their faces.

Gojyo was about to ask what the hell was going on when Goku lept in front of him and gave a gentle flick to his forehead. It was obvious that the saru had done more than flick because there was a strange tingling sensation spreading through his head, like blood rushing back to once bound limbs. Gojyo closed his eyes against the sensation, and a moment later, Kenren opened them. He looked to his side to find Tenpou and Konzen staring back at him.

"An interesting course of action." Tenpou commented mildly.

"Bakazaru!" Konzen yelled jumping to his feet. "What the hell did you do this time!"

"It's alright, Konzen!" Goku said grinning at the group. "Nataku and I took out the council. We're in charge now! We can do whatever we want!"

The golden haired kami stared at the saru in disbelief. He had two lifetimes worth of memories to let him know exactly what a Tenkai ruled by this dumb-ass would be like. He suddenly desperately needed a drink.

**Actual Ending:**

Sanzo hated the heat. He hated muggy days like this. He hated how everyone sweated and how there seemed to be no respite from the humidity. It always made him tired. He had stretched out on the ground where it was cooler to go over some paper work, and before he knew it, he was asleep. The room had been so quiet and the paperwork so dull that he just could help it.

Imagine his irritation when he was pulled from his sleep by a slight rise in temperature. The air around him just seemed to have gotten warmer…almost as if another person had laid down near him, not touching, but close enough for body heat to be felt. Sanzo cracked an eye open to see what was causing the rise in temperature and froze. His view of the figure was obscured by a mass of messy chestnut hair, but he would have recognized that hair anywhere. Obviously, the saru had not been sleeping because as soon as Sanzo's breath caught, though he had not made a sound, a pair of golden eyes turned to beam up at him.

"Sanzo. Tadaima." He said simply, and just that quickly, Goku was home. He was changed to be sure, but it was Goku all the same. Sanzo sighed to himself. There was only one response to such a greeting…

o—o—o—o

Hakkai and Gojyo had been chatting in their room when the commotion began. Now they were both rushing down the hall to Sanzo's quarters wondering what the hell had happened now. Was it a youkai attack? Was heaven trying to take them out again? Was Sanzo having a temper tantrum?

As it turned out, it was kind of a combination of all three. The two men opened the monks door to find a young saru defending himself from an attacking harisen that was descending with the fury of the gods themselves.

"Hakkai! Gojyo! Help! He's gone nuts!" Goku said rushing behind his two other companions for protection.

"Goku?" Hakkai said turning to face the "boy." "You're back?"

"Un!" the saru nodded. "Nataku set me free. Sorry it took me so long to get back to you guys, but we had to deal with a lot of crap in Tenkai." Gojyo leaned over and took Goku by the shoulders leveling his eyes with the kid.

"And it's for real this time. No more fucked up head games?"

"Un. I'll be going to visit Nataku every now and again to make sure he's ok and that those asshole kami don't forget about me and what I can do, and he'll visit me whenever Tenkai gets to be too much, but other than that, I'm back for good."

"Well shit." Gojyo said pulling Goku into a gruff, one-armed embrace. "Maybe my bro actually knows what the hell he's talking about sometimes."

"Just where do you bastards get off ignoring me?" The three 'youkai' jumped like kids with their hand caught in the cookie jar and turned nervous eyes to the priest that had just been on a rampage. They _had_ actually momentarily forgotten about him. I was never good when Sanzo got like this…there was just no telling what he would do next, but to all of their surprise, they turned to find the young man standing there with his equivalent of a broad grin.

"Oi! Goku!"

"Aa?"

"Okaeri." Goku looked up at Sanzo and acknowledged all of the unspoken meanings within that one word. He gave a small grin of his own and nodded once.

"Un."

_The end…for real this time._

End Notes:

Kannon – Another name for Kanzeon Bosatsu

Tadaima – Basically "I'm home!"

Okaeri – Basically "Welcome home."

Ad – a vocal acknowledgment

Un – Another vocal acknowledgement

Author's notes:

So this is _actually_ the end. I took me a year and some months, but I actually finished this story. I hope you enjoyed the Clue-style multiple endings. There were some scenarios that were just too funny not to write. The last one is the actual ending though…hence the "Actual Ending" heading. Thank you so much to all of you who read and reviewed this story. A special nod to Kryscylla who has been poking me faithfully through the process. I know that I've had my doubts and worries as I've been writing this, but I've really enjoyed working on this plot. Now that I've read through the later Gaiden chapters of the manga and know what actually happened, I feel kind of awkward writing this version, but that just really grounds in the fact that this is an AU story. Anyway, final reviews are strongly encouraged. I'll be working on stories in other fandoms so…keep and eye out…especially if you're into Digimon. That's all tho! Thanks again everyone!


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